With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement sparking the media’s obsession with royal weddings, following the much publicized wedding of Pippa Middleton and billionaire James Matthews, you’d be surprised at the sheer number of blue bloods who tied the knot this year. Here’s a run-down of the under-the-radar royal nuptials of 2017.
Prince Philip of Serbia and Danica
On October 7, Prince Philip of Karageorgevitch, son of Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia and Princess Maria da Glória of Orleans Bragança, and Danica Marinkovic let the world in on their fantasy nuptials that took place in the capital of Belgrade. Sticking to royal protocol, the couple had a traditional ceremony at the Cathedral Church of St. Michael the Archangel, a Serbian Orthodox orthodox church, which was glittering with its elite attendance and lavish floral display, free-flowing bubbly and a traditional folk dance performance. Event planners Eventiva personalized the elaborate place settings, with the tables festooned with pink and white roses. Social media allowed us a peep into the wedding as Fontana Todorovic, the cake baker posted a picture of her putting the finishing touches to the couple’s show-stopping cake which was covered in edible fondant icing roses across a a towering seven-tiered cake. The bride wore a simple white gown custom made by British-Serbian designer Roksanda Ilincic.
Prince Ernst August Jr. and Ekaterina Malysheva
Prince Ernst August Jr., a banker, married London-based, Russian fashion designer Ekaterina Malysheva in Hanover this summer after dating for six years. The ceremony itself was groundbreaking as it marked the first time a Hanoverian prince married in the historic German Market Church in 66 years, before 600 guests. The bride wore three outfits all custom made by Lebanese designer Sandra Mansour during the course of the weekend. In true fairytale fashion, the newlyweds exited the church in a horse-drawn carriage followed by a luncheon at the historic Herrenhauser Gardens, followed by a dinner at Marienburg Castle.
Princess Tunku Tun Aminah Sultan Ibrahim of Johor and Dennis Muhammad Abdullah
The princess, daughter of one of Malaysia’s most powerful sultans, Sultan of Johor, married her Dutch fiance Dennis in a traditional Islamic ceremony this August. Following three years of dating, Dennis converted to Islam to wed the princess according to Muslim Malay custom at the Serene Hill Palace, the royal family’s residence in the southern city of Johor Bahru. The private ceremony was attended by close family and friends followed by a lavish reception which hosted 1,200 guests.
Princess Mako of Japan and Kei Komuro
Princess Mako, the eldest grandchild of Japan’s Emperor Akihito, fell in love with a commoner, a fellow student at Tokyo’s International Christian University. After years of courtship, the princess publicly announced her engagment and the fact that she will be giving up her imperial status, all for love. On her bold move to relinquish her royal status, the princess said in a press conference that, “I was aware since my childhood that I’ll leave a royal status once I marry.” “While I worked to help the emperor and fulfil duties as a royal family member as much as I can, I’ve been cherishing my own life,” she announced.
